Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 electric cars could be on sale in Australia next year

Volkswagen could bring forward the production of its ID.4 and ID.5 electric vehicles destined for Australia earlier than planned, meaning the pair could be on sale here by late 2023.

Speaking to Wheels, Volkswagen Group Australia's Managing Director, Paul Sansom, said start of production is scheduled for the two models, which are twins under the skin, towards the end of next year – but the firm is hopeful that could move to mid-year instead.

That would mean the two cars could be on sale here before 2023 is out.

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The ID.4 and ID.5 will join the other VW Group mainstream EVs so far confirmed for this market – the Cupra Born hatchback due in late 2022 and the Skoda Enyaq wagon and four-door coupe also arriving in 2023.

A spokesperson for VW said the smaller ID.3, which is also confirmed for Australia, wouldn't likely come here until after the current model gets its upcoming facelift overseas as that would be "logical".

"We want to be the leader in electric vehicles as well once we can secure the supply of those vehicles here in Australia," Sansom told us.

"The demand has absolutely skyrocketed globally for EVs that's another factor that's really putting some pressure on the transformation to electric vehicles.

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"We've got 180 showrooms across our group in Australia and we're inundated with requests from consumers every day [about EVs]. The consumers want these cars, and it's our biggest frustration we can’t yet get them here. If we'd had mandated targets in place two or three years ago, when we started talking about this stuff, we would've had those cars by now.

"But our biggest issue – as well having no targets – is that there's actually very limited production available. Even when the targets come into play, there's still a catch up on production [due to COVID-19, semiconductor shortages and the war in Ukraine]."

In addition to the VW, Skoda and Cupra electric vehicles on their way, the Group already has the Audi E-Tron on our shores – currently available in E-Tron, Sportback, S, S Sportback and GT forms, with the flagship GT RS arriving any day now.

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Although another model, the Audi Q4 E-Tron is as yet unconfirmed for Australia, Sansom did hint it will be coming here in the not-to-distant future.

"The ID.4 is on the same platform as the Audi Q4 E-Tron and at the moment that’s on schedule for a start of production at the end of next year, and we are hopeful that we might be able to bring that forward as well," he told Wheels.

"So regardless of an introduction of mandated targets, we've been applying so much pressure to our headquarters to give us some cars because we can see the demand here."

Also not officially set for our market, though likely to make an appearance, is the higher-powered GTX variant of the ID.4 and ID.5. The all-wheel-drive, dual-motor GTX sits at the top of the ID.4 and ID.5 ranges, delivering 220kW and a driving range of more than 500km from its 80kWh battery and twin motor set-up.

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By comparison, there’s a 52kWh entry-level model with a choice of 109kW or 125kW electric motors, and a mid-range version which features a 77kWh battery with 150kW and a WLTP-rated driving range of almost 540 kilometres. Both are rear-wheel-drive with a single motor.

According to Volkswagen ID.'s global head of sales and marketing, Silke Bagschik, roughly 40 per cent of ID.4 and ID.5 buyers have opted for the flagship spec GTX overseas, prompting the marque to offer the variant in more of its electric models.

Asked if we would be getting the GTX when the ID.4 and ID.5 land here, given Aussies' penchant for higher-spec and fast cars, we were told it would be "a reasonable assumption" but the brand would be revealing more at a later date.

Sansom added that the EV onslaught is necessary for the Group globally, as it needs to "double down on zero-emission vehicles" to off-set those made by the introduction of the new Amarok ute coming next year.